Ryan got in this evening. Jason and Eric O were here this afternoon. Michael got in the other day. What a joy it is to have everyone around. Last week at church there were just 4 of us on our bench and it was feeling pretty lonely.
Now we just have to wait for Andrew to arrive next Saturday. Andrew, by the way, is now no longer working the 4:30 am custodial shift but is now working as a custodian at BYU's Museum of Art (MOA) on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons, and all day on Saturday. He's excited to be able to sleep in after a year of rising at 4 am. We still don't have a definite date on the wedding...the end of April is what we have.
Today for Eric's email, we were on the computer when he was on, so we were able to have a conversation of sorts. My original plan was just to forward Eric's email to the family, like we forwarded Andrew's when he was on his mission, but today's format doesn't allow for that, so I've decided to post a copied and pasted version of his emails. When Eric puts "YM" it stands for Young Missionaries.
E-mails from Saturday 15 December 2012
Eric:
I'm making my bed every morning. The cactus wasn't doing too well, but I think it just wasn't getting enough water. Elder Duckworth [the Elder that was in Andrew's ward his freshman year at BYU] moved on before I got here, but he still gets mentioned sometimes. I got to use my umbrella coming back from the Temple last night; we just did five baptisms each, baptizing and confirming each other.
I did bring my alarm clock, but it's set to Pacific time so I have to set it to go off an hour ahead.
Glen:
DO NOT WATER the cactus. It needs very little water. My guess to change the time on your clock you would hold down on the time button the same time you press down on the hour or minute button and the time will change. You would set it pretty much the same as you would set the alarm, but there would be a switch to switch from Alarm to Time. I finally kind of got done with my Smith Family Research project. I'll snail mail you a copy and on your free time you can play around and search extended lines or whatnot...
Eric:
Elder Broadhead is just from Utah somewhere. I think the valley. He's only a couple of months in. His companion, Elder Frost, is from Maine. He just transferred into the apartment a couple of days before I got here. [Elder Broadhead and Elder Frost are the other 2 missionaries in Eric's apartment]
I talked with Elder Scotto in the hall just today, and he said his mom emailed him about me [I know Elder Scotto's mom].
It's not Elder Peterson who's my trainer, it's Elder Danielson. Sorry, that was my mistake. Elder Peterson is the mission president, and he's the only one named Peterson besides Elder Peterson the YM. I think it might be kind of confusing, because I'm pretty sure Elder Glenn also speaks with an English accent because of his Asperger's. The trainers are all oldsters.
The flags are at half-staff again today. I heard there was something in Connecticut?
Ganon is the name of the van. There's also vans Lilo and Thunder.
Glen:
What is the reference with the van names? Yes, another bloody school shooting, terrible situation.
Eric:
Ganon is just named after Ganon from Legend of Zelda, because the sister missionaries named the other two and the elders wanted something less sissy…
Glen:
Are you up at the computers next to Elder Brandon's office where we saw the missionaries researching prior to their vote? or is there another computer bank somewhere?
Eric:
We do emails at the Family History Library. I'm on the third floor, the floor above SpecPro [Special Projects]. Elder Smith has something here, so this is the floor I'm doing it on, and he just now got up to go do that.
Beth:
Hi. It's Mom now. I just love all the info we are getting from you today. I was just playing a game with Alex, Eric O, and Jiaxin, so I haven't read everything yet. But it sounds like you are keeping busy and having a good week.
Eric:
I was going to ask if the Men's Wearhouse suits need dry cleaning, but I looked at the care tag and machine washed warm, tumbled dry medium.
Glen:
Mom says to do what the tag says, Hannah says hi. What else do they have you doing besides doing extraction?
Eric:
There's no more Special Projects evening zone for the rest of the year, but my evening zones are (were?) Tues-Thurs. Thursday was "Green Day," because it was Elder Green's last night of evening zone before he goes home. We had green jello and I don't have a green tie, but we wore that to the best of our abilities. Family Search went down after we came back from that, so we just watched Mormon Messages.
Glen:
The tough thing about chatting is the aspect of (1) knowing where the next message will pop up and (2) pasting together a letter of the week to pass on to family. So I'll give you time to type up a lovely letter like you did last week. But I do have more questions: So, what was your evening Special Projects that you did prior to it being closed down for the rest of the year? I hope all is well and you're having a good time.
Eric:
We all get laptops and for now all I did was index on them. When the new year comes, they're supposed to have hooked up new computers in the lab. All that's there now are the monitors.
Eric:
Elijah Choir meets at 6:15 in the morning, which is when Elder Smith is going out to run. Elder Broadhead does choir, though. I hear he's pretty good, or at least he talks like he's an accomplished singer, recording his stuff and everything. But if I went out to do that, then I wouldn't have time to shower in the morning. I did try going out running once, but that didn't turn out so well. It's pretty high up here, I guess. Is SLC higher than Fallon?
There's no YM theatre troupe or anything, no. But there are a few other choirs.
Dad:
Fallon is at 3960 feet and SLC is 4226, so a bit higher. I'm sure Elder Smith has been running for some time and is just in better shape... do they have you do an exercise program at all. Do you have a gym or weights? I take it the Elijah Choir must be the YM choir as Elder Smith said he was in the ward choir... How much longer do you have before you have to get off the computer??
Eric:
There is a Missionary Health Guide, that came with this exercise rubber band thing, but I haven't had much opportunity to look over that. There's also basketball, I guess, though I also haven't gotten time to do any of that.
There is a ward choir which is just like a normal choir, meeting before church, which I have sang in already. I also think there's a Men's Choir.
Fifteen, twenty minutes? I got on at 5:35, but I did some stuff before logging on the email. Hold on...
Beth:
Yep, it looks like your time is almost up then. What "stuff" did you do before logging on?
Eric:
Just wrote a little in the weekly YM report to the president, tallying up all the hours spend studying alone and with a companion, etc.
Eric:
It's weird. It alternates between, "we need more than an hour each week for emails, there's so much to say," but lately it's been more, "man, I don't have anything to say." Since there wasn't evening zone or anything on Friday, and today is P day, not much has been happening. The time is already beginning to pass quickly, if you can believe it.
On Tuesday, I've got the scripture and prayer in the morning prayer meeting.
Last P-day, (after I emailed, I guess) Elder Smith took me (I took Elder Smith?) to Deseret Bookstore, and I couldn't find what I was looking for, but a woman came up to us and gave us each $20. I don't know where to tithe that yet, but, it's still nice.
Our apartment building, 155, is apparently the only one with a laundry room, so though I didn't have to do laundry last week I did it this week. A lot of YMs apparently leave their clothes in the washers and driers, which causes great annoyance to the more elderly people of the apartments, but since the laundry room is right next door I'm able to take my laundry out on time.
Beth:
So, are you doing well, enjoying your training, and happy???
Eric:
My apartment's great. Other missionaries often come over, not just because Elder Smith is an assistant to the President, but because they enjoy the spirit of the apartment. So it's nice here, and I'm learning my training very quickly, according to Elder Danielson. And everyone here is super nice to the missionaries.
So, it's good.
That should be about it.
Elder Perazzo.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
news of and from Eric
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| Elder Perazzo and his new companion Elder Smith |
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| Pointing out the wonderful Christmas tree in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building |
It's been an amazing couple of days. We are just so thrilled and happy for Eric and this wonderful opportunity he has been given.
We
drove to Salt Lake on Thursday where we met up with Glen's sister, Teresa, and
her husband, Matt. Glen, Eric, and I jumped into their car
and drove down to Provo where we went and visited Alicia and Dallin and
their new baby, Everett (who is absolutely precious). By the end of the visit, we had managed to
chat with Jackie, Brandon, Calista, Tessa, Jacob, Andrew, and Amanda as
some surprised us by dropping by to say good-bye to Eric.
We
spent Thursday night at Matt and Teresa's house and then Friday
morning, Glen, Eric, Teresa, and I headed for Salt Lake. We first
dropped off Eric's things to his apartment and got to meet his
companion, Elder Ashton Smith (who turned out to be one of the 2 Assistants to
the President). We were very impressed with him. Turns out he and Teresa
shared an acquaintance with a family, so that was kind of neat. As we
walked from the apartments to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, we
could tell that Eric was really excited...he walked really fast trying
to get there and lead the pack. Then, when he told me that Elder Smith was going to take
him to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square that night, he was
really happy about it.
While
Teresa wandered around Temple Square, we had an orientation meeting.
There were 6 new young missionaries reporting that day, so we had kind
of a large group in the conference room. Elder Smith and the other AP,
Elder Lyon, had a powerpoint presentation for us about the mission. Then
we had a few minutes to say good-bye. At which point, we questioned Elder Smith about the mission.
We asked about Sundays, since the Family History Library is closed then. Sundays are sort of a "free" day, only it's so packed of things like attending the live broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, church, maybe choir practice, and planning meetings that it actually is a very busy day.
We asked about Sundays, since the Family History Library is closed then. Sundays are sort of a "free" day, only it's so packed of things like attending the live broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, church, maybe choir practice, and planning meetings that it actually is a very busy day.
We
did learn that visits from family (and friends) are not allowed...if we do wind up going to Salt
Lake we are to avoid bumping into Eric. We had wondered, since he is
allowed to go to a family sealing in the temple, if we would be able to
see him at other times as well, but we are not. Which is fine. Things
are allowed to be dropped off for him, however. You just need to call
ahead and arrange a time, and then Sister Brandon will come down to your
car outside the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and take your package
and deliver it later.
After we
said good-bye to Eric, Glen, Teresa, and I drove to Fallon...Teresa came
to surprise Mom and Dad Perazzo and will be able to stay for a week. It
was great to be able to spend more time with Teresa driving here.
Anyway,
we were also told to expect Eric's first email today, and it has now
come...in 2 parts. I was very pleased with how long they were...I had
told Eric that we'd like some detail. So, here are the first words from
Eric. By the way, Eric mentions an Elder Scotto. I know Elder Scotto's
mother...we were roommates during BYU's Ed Week quite a few years ago.
Oh, and if you know Pam Craig, her nephew from Idaho was just called to the same mission and will arrive in March. Pretty neat.
Eric's 1st email:
Today is P-Day, and that means shopping. There are four shopping vans doing trips, at 7:30, at 8:30, and at 10:30. This month has 5 weeks in it, so we have $32 a week to do shopping instead of $40. Since I came in a week into it, though, I'm not sure if that still holds up. Either way I didn't need to buy all that much anyway since I haven't cracked into much of the food that's been packed for me- I ate a couple of slices of banana to go with two slices of bread for lunch, but those are the only foods from home I've eaten so far, besides a cookie and half of Aunt Teresa's sandwich, which are from the car trip.
Thank you for the photographs I discovered packed. I got a few wooden photo frames from the swap meet, and so those are framed up on top of the Christmas bookcase. I guess that's like a Christmas tree, but the tree on top of it is one of those wooden board craft projects, with holes drilled in so that lights stick through. An elder across the hall in the apartment got an extra Christmas tree (packaged as one of the 12 gifts in his 12 Days of Christmas care package, I guess? Or else that's a different elder who had that, but it only came with 11 gifts in it, so either the tree in it was meant to be one of the gifts or something got lost in the mail or something) so he gave it to our apartment. That means, counting the wooden tree and my cactus (into the center of which I placed a cinnamon-scented candle as a star, and surrounded it with the gift wrapping, a letter and Christmas card from the stake presidency, and a fruitcake I bought today) that our apartment has three Christmas trees. The tree is set on an end table in the corner of the room, next to the sofa, and I arranged it so that if you look at it the right angle the floor lamp behind it could be seen as its star. I also put next to that a door mirror I got from the swap meet, which we didn't have anything to hang up with on the door, so I just put it there. My companion, as you know, is Elder Smith, and with us in the apartment are Elders Frost and Broadhead.
Last night Elder Smith took me on a walk to see Temple Square all lit up. There were lights and people everywhere. I think it was prom night, so there were some dates there as well. There were also a few Nativities around, from all kinds of different cultures. There's a constant rotation of choirs singing in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, up in the mezzanine. The tree in there is so big, it uses the chandelier as its star. We took a tour of the Conference Center. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is doing a Christmas conference there on the 18th, and so we got to see the producers doing a technical run through. Tom Brokaw wasn't there, but there was a man reading his lines, so I guess that's a preview for when we (Elder Smith and I, at least, and maybe others, but you need a ticket, so I'm not sure if we all have one) get to see that live. That's exciting. Temple Square has got to be the most Christmassy place in the world this time of year. The tour guide, Brother Caldwell, is a neighbor to the mission president, Elder Peterson.
My trainer is Elder Peterson (I'm not sure if it's the same Elder Peterson yet, since it didn't really occur to me before, especially considering that there's another Elder Peterson who definitely isn't one of the other Elder Petersons because he's a YM, who speaks with an English accent because of his Asperger's.) I didn't get to spend much time with him anyway, since all there was really time to do was to get assigned, go over some paperwork with your trainer, and then get called to get your photo taken.
I think we're taking most of the week off on Christmas- Monday and Tuesday, I think, and Saturday and Sunday of course.
I've been using my journal a lot. I'm already five or six pages into it, recording things that I don't have the time to tell you here.
The flags were all at half-staff yesterday. Do they always do that for Pearl Harbor Day?
I haven't met any panhandlers yet.
I still have about 20 minutes left of email time, so I think I'll just send you this one and send you another one. There are some elders whose parents know what time they send out emails, so they're able to have a back-and-forth realtime conversation. This is my first P-Day, so I don't think I have a settled time yet, so I don't think we'll be able to do that.
2nd email:
Eric's 1st email:
Today is P-Day, and that means shopping. There are four shopping vans doing trips, at 7:30, at 8:30, and at 10:30. This month has 5 weeks in it, so we have $32 a week to do shopping instead of $40. Since I came in a week into it, though, I'm not sure if that still holds up. Either way I didn't need to buy all that much anyway since I haven't cracked into much of the food that's been packed for me- I ate a couple of slices of banana to go with two slices of bread for lunch, but those are the only foods from home I've eaten so far, besides a cookie and half of Aunt Teresa's sandwich, which are from the car trip.
Thank you for the photographs I discovered packed. I got a few wooden photo frames from the swap meet, and so those are framed up on top of the Christmas bookcase. I guess that's like a Christmas tree, but the tree on top of it is one of those wooden board craft projects, with holes drilled in so that lights stick through. An elder across the hall in the apartment got an extra Christmas tree (packaged as one of the 12 gifts in his 12 Days of Christmas care package, I guess? Or else that's a different elder who had that, but it only came with 11 gifts in it, so either the tree in it was meant to be one of the gifts or something got lost in the mail or something) so he gave it to our apartment. That means, counting the wooden tree and my cactus (into the center of which I placed a cinnamon-scented candle as a star, and surrounded it with the gift wrapping, a letter and Christmas card from the stake presidency, and a fruitcake I bought today) that our apartment has three Christmas trees. The tree is set on an end table in the corner of the room, next to the sofa, and I arranged it so that if you look at it the right angle the floor lamp behind it could be seen as its star. I also put next to that a door mirror I got from the swap meet, which we didn't have anything to hang up with on the door, so I just put it there. My companion, as you know, is Elder Smith, and with us in the apartment are Elders Frost and Broadhead.
Last night Elder Smith took me on a walk to see Temple Square all lit up. There were lights and people everywhere. I think it was prom night, so there were some dates there as well. There were also a few Nativities around, from all kinds of different cultures. There's a constant rotation of choirs singing in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, up in the mezzanine. The tree in there is so big, it uses the chandelier as its star. We took a tour of the Conference Center. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is doing a Christmas conference there on the 18th, and so we got to see the producers doing a technical run through. Tom Brokaw wasn't there, but there was a man reading his lines, so I guess that's a preview for when we (Elder Smith and I, at least, and maybe others, but you need a ticket, so I'm not sure if we all have one) get to see that live. That's exciting. Temple Square has got to be the most Christmassy place in the world this time of year. The tour guide, Brother Caldwell, is a neighbor to the mission president, Elder Peterson.
My trainer is Elder Peterson (I'm not sure if it's the same Elder Peterson yet, since it didn't really occur to me before, especially considering that there's another Elder Peterson who definitely isn't one of the other Elder Petersons because he's a YM, who speaks with an English accent because of his Asperger's.) I didn't get to spend much time with him anyway, since all there was really time to do was to get assigned, go over some paperwork with your trainer, and then get called to get your photo taken.
I think we're taking most of the week off on Christmas- Monday and Tuesday, I think, and Saturday and Sunday of course.
I've been using my journal a lot. I'm already five or six pages into it, recording things that I don't have the time to tell you here.
The flags were all at half-staff yesterday. Do they always do that for Pearl Harbor Day?
I haven't met any panhandlers yet.
I still have about 20 minutes left of email time, so I think I'll just send you this one and send you another one. There are some elders whose parents know what time they send out emails, so they're able to have a back-and-forth realtime conversation. This is my first P-Day, so I don't think I have a settled time yet, so I don't think we'll be able to do that.
2nd email:
I haven't met everybody yet, of course, but I've met a few others
in the apartment, and went shopping with those in my shopping group- van
"Ganon," 8:30 trip.Elder Lyon, the Assistant to the
President, lives just next door, and I'm roommates with Elder Smith, the
second Assistant to the President. Elder Lyon isn't the senior
companion to anyone, so getting paired with Elder Smith is the
second-best thing to getting paired with Elder Lyon like I said. There's
also Elder Scotto, who lives across the hall, and is supposed to be the best cook ever. Elder Grimsman
was just hanging around in our apartment last night, and I'm not sure
where he fits in. There's also a bunch of elders I've "met" but haven't
gotten to "meet." I just shook hands with Elder McFarlin,
who works in the vaults and is doing his own email now a few computers
over from me. I'm with Elder Smith right now, and only have a few
minutes left.
I've already done companionship studies, going over my
new missionary packet with Elder Smith, so we're going to do our reports
now and maybe check out Deseret Book sometime maybe today.
It can't decide whether it wants to snow or not, but I haven't been
outside in an hour so I don't know if it's settled one way or another.
Well, talk to you later. And in a few weeks, actually talk to you, over the phone. Who all is going to be there with you to talk to? Do you know yet?
I guess that's it.
Well, talk to you later. And in a few weeks, actually talk to you, over the phone. Who all is going to be there with you to talk to? Do you know yet?
I guess that's it.
Elder Perazzo
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Hannah's 17th birthday and other very important stuff
Our niece, Alicia, and her husband, Dallin, welcomed a new little baby to their house this week! Everett Adam Marr was born on Tuesday, November 27th. He was 7 lbs 1 oz, 20" long, and was born at 2:39 am.
Hannah had promised them $20 if they had their baby on her birthday, so her reply to them on facebook was that they lost out on $20. But, even if Everett doesn't share Hannah's birthday, we are so happy and excited for them. Everett is adorable (I think he looks a bit like his Uncle Adam did) and mother and baby were doing well.
Well, it seems I've used my limit of photo storage space for posting pictures on my blog. I either now have to delete previous pictures or pay to use more storage, So, no photos today, but:
Hannah's 17th birthday was yesterday. Hard to believe, isn't it? We barely saw her as she had slept over at Becky's house...her "twin" who also turned 17 yesterday. Then she took her cousin Madison to Carson City (with me trying not to freak out having Hannah drive in a place she didn't know...having my children drive is a very tough challenge for me). They saw the musical play "The Little Mermaid" and went ice skating--both of which she later reported weren't worth the trip to Carson. Oh,well.
She returned just in time (7:30 pm) to start her spur-off-the-moment party (which was slated to start at 7:30 pm), where friends came over to play games and watch Harry Potter.
At one point during the party there was a lot of screeching going on...at first I thought Hannah was just being exuberant (not hard to picture, is it?), but then it continued so I started to wonder if she was hurt as she came bursting into my room, still screeching. Then I noticed she was holding my cell phone. I then realized what had happened. Hannah was just reacting to a new text message from Andrew that turned out to simply say, "I'm engaged." I didn't have to see the message to know what was going on Andrew had told us earlier in the day that he was going to propose last night (sorry Dad P, you were over, but I was sworn to secrecy, so I couldn't tell you).
So, Happy Birthday Hannah! And congratulations Andrew and Heather!
And, we are down to just having 4 days left with Eric before we take him to Salt Lake. I don't even know what to put after that...yikes...wow...astounding...time is flying.
Hannah had promised them $20 if they had their baby on her birthday, so her reply to them on facebook was that they lost out on $20. But, even if Everett doesn't share Hannah's birthday, we are so happy and excited for them. Everett is adorable (I think he looks a bit like his Uncle Adam did) and mother and baby were doing well.
Well, it seems I've used my limit of photo storage space for posting pictures on my blog. I either now have to delete previous pictures or pay to use more storage, So, no photos today, but:
Hannah's 17th birthday was yesterday. Hard to believe, isn't it? We barely saw her as she had slept over at Becky's house...her "twin" who also turned 17 yesterday. Then she took her cousin Madison to Carson City (with me trying not to freak out having Hannah drive in a place she didn't know...having my children drive is a very tough challenge for me). They saw the musical play "The Little Mermaid" and went ice skating--both of which she later reported weren't worth the trip to Carson. Oh,well.
She returned just in time (7:30 pm) to start her spur-off-the-moment party (which was slated to start at 7:30 pm), where friends came over to play games and watch Harry Potter.
At one point during the party there was a lot of screeching going on...at first I thought Hannah was just being exuberant (not hard to picture, is it?), but then it continued so I started to wonder if she was hurt as she came bursting into my room, still screeching. Then I noticed she was holding my cell phone. I then realized what had happened. Hannah was just reacting to a new text message from Andrew that turned out to simply say, "I'm engaged." I didn't have to see the message to know what was going on Andrew had told us earlier in the day that he was going to propose last night (sorry Dad P, you were over, but I was sworn to secrecy, so I couldn't tell you).
So, Happy Birthday Hannah! And congratulations Andrew and Heather!
And, we are down to just having 4 days left with Eric before we take him to Salt Lake. I don't even know what to put after that...yikes...wow...astounding...time is flying.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Eric's 21st birthday, Thanksgiving, and the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich
Eric turned 21 on the 20th...which was the day we traveled down to Vegas to spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family and my parents. So, we had cake and ice cream on the 19th and celebrated Eric's last day of being 20 (there were only 20 candles on his cake) instead.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Andrew and Heather ran a 10K that Denise's ward has each Thanksgiving--Hannah hadn't brought her sneakers, so she just ran a short leg in her moccasins. Heather won a prize and that was even with her starting 15 minutes late!
We spent 5 days visiting, playing games, eating, seeing a the movie (Lincoln), shopping, and just really enjoying being together.
The main game we played was Andrew's new game, 7 Wonders. I loved it so much, we are going to get one. It is a bit complicated and I normally don't have the patience to learn complicated games, but I really liked it.
I had read a book, The List by Melanie Jacobson (thanks Hanna for lending it to us!), which was super cute and Hannah read it on our trip. In it, the main characters make the "ultimate grilled cheese sandwich." We had to try it. I loved it. It's grilled sour dough bread with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, red onion, and fresh basil. The red onion probably wasn't necessary, since it had the pepper jack cheese, but it was divine.
Now, we are down to just 9 days before Eric reports for his Family History mission... wow.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Andrew and Heather ran a 10K that Denise's ward has each Thanksgiving--Hannah hadn't brought her sneakers, so she just ran a short leg in her moccasins. Heather won a prize and that was even with her starting 15 minutes late!
We spent 5 days visiting, playing games, eating, seeing a the movie (Lincoln), shopping, and just really enjoying being together.
The main game we played was Andrew's new game, 7 Wonders. I loved it so much, we are going to get one. It is a bit complicated and I normally don't have the patience to learn complicated games, but I really liked it.
I had read a book, The List by Melanie Jacobson (thanks Hanna for lending it to us!), which was super cute and Hannah read it on our trip. In it, the main characters make the "ultimate grilled cheese sandwich." We had to try it. I loved it. It's grilled sour dough bread with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, red onion, and fresh basil. The red onion probably wasn't necessary, since it had the pepper jack cheese, but it was divine.
Now, we are down to just 9 days before Eric reports for his Family History mission... wow.
Friday, November 9, 2012
fascinating post by Middle-aged Mormon Man
If you don't know the Middle-aged Mormon Man blog, you should visit it soon (click here to find it) . His is the only blog on my "Blogs of People I Don't Know" list that I faithfully follow and look at every post he writes. He does serious and funny and thoughtful and everything else in between.
Today he posted something a friend of his wrote about Romney and the election. I thought it was great, so have a look if you are interested:
http://middle-agedmormonman.blogspot.com/2012/11/one-last-post-mortem.html
Today he posted something a friend of his wrote about Romney and the election. I thought it was great, so have a look if you are interested:
http://middle-agedmormonman.blogspot.com/2012/11/one-last-post-mortem.html
Sunday, November 4, 2012
fall, funeral, Eric, pinstrosity, and cards
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| Alex |
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| Becky and Hannah |
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| Becky C and Hannah |
Eric and I attended a funeral in Sparks yesterday. It was for Ray Kelly, the father of my roommate from my freshman and sophomore years at BYU. I only met him a few times...in 1979 and 1980 I spent Thanksgiving there when Maralea and I were roommates (as Louisiana and New York were too far away for me to travel). He and his wife, Leona, were so kind to me. He was one of those wonderful "salt of the earth" men. Here's a link to his obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rgj/obituary.aspx?pid=160760758#fbLoggedOut
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Eric is slowly getting ready for his mission. There still seems so much to do, but I think we'll get it done on time. Glen, Hannah, Alex, and I are speaking in Sacrament Meeting on November 11th. I consider this a downside to having a missionary, but it's a price I am willing to pay. Eric will speak with the High Councilman on November 18th.
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I discovered a website called pinstrosity.blogspot.com where they post photos and stories of people trying out different pins from pinterest.com and not getting the same results as the original pin. If you have a few minutes to kill, take a look and be amused. And if you have a pin that you tried and it didn't match the picture, send it in to them so they can post it.
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And, lastly, Friday night was stamping night:
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| Kristyn's card |
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| Michelle's card |
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| my card |
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| Becky's card |
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| Tina's card |
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Eric is going to be a family history missionary!
The surprise was when Eric reports to Salt Lake--my birthday, Friday, December 7th, which is 6 weeks from yesterday. I was freaking out just a little. Eric says he is excited. I'm excited too, but still freaking.
We were thinking it would be January or even February. I had been hoping that we didn't have to wait around till February and was even wondering last week if December was even possible. But now that it's happening that way, I am feeling this is all so unreal.
So, with Eric leaving for 2 years in December, Ryan hoping to leave for his mission after winter semester, and then Hannah wanting to go on a mission when she turns 19 (and she turns 19 just 5 days before Eric's mission will end), we might go 3 1/2 years or more without us all being together. I know plenty of families have gone longer than that, but it's just mind-boggling.
Still freaking out.
So much to do.
So excited.
**********************************************************************************
Trunk or Treat at Church:
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| Eric, dressed as the Nyan Cat--part cat, part poptart, at the ward party click here for a totally annoying clip of the nyan cat's song |
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| Alex, dressed as a school kid--see the Alfalfa-like hair sticking up in the back? |
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| Becky and Hannah starting a new project |
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| Salt Lake Temple project, completed
My project was easier, though not as pretty as theirs: clean the headlights using toothpaste, a rag, and some water. Took 2 minutes and it made a big difference:
before:  |
Monday, October 22, 2012
my sister's talk on the power of words
My most wonderful sister recently spoke at a Relief Society Retreat. She sent me her talk and I have posted it on my other blog. Check it out.
Here is a teaser:
If it is not OK for you to constantly barrage your children, your neighbors, your co-workers, your spouse, your friends, with complaints and name-calling and put-downs, then why in the world do we think it is OK to do this to ourselves? Do we really think that our Father in Heaven is perfectly fine with this? It is just as wrong for us to do this to ourselves as it would be for us to do this to someone else. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD AND YOU SHOULD BE TREATED THAT WAY, EVEN BY YOURSELF!!
http://mypensieve-beth.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-sisters-talk-words-that-inspire.html
Here is a teaser:
If it is not OK for you to constantly barrage your children, your neighbors, your co-workers, your spouse, your friends, with complaints and name-calling and put-downs, then why in the world do we think it is OK to do this to ourselves? Do we really think that our Father in Heaven is perfectly fine with this? It is just as wrong for us to do this to ourselves as it would be for us to do this to someone else. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD AND YOU SHOULD BE TREATED THAT WAY, EVEN BY YOURSELF!!
http://mypensieve-beth.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-sisters-talk-words-that-inspire.html
Sunday, October 21, 2012
more on our visit to the Family & Church History Headquarters Mission
Here are some more details of our visit last Wednesday to meet with Elder Brandon and look into Eric serving a f amily history mission there.
We met with Elder Brandon on the 3rd floor in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB). We spent a little over 2 hours with him. Sister Brandon was with us for part of the time.
One of the first things he did was to take us to meet with the President of the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission, President Wayne S. Peterson (click on his name to go to his biography).
President Peterson and his wife were wonderful. He only talked to us for a few minutes. He told us a little bit about himself, pointed out an excellent, original oil painting of Joseph Smith that the artist did using the death mask of Joseph so as to get the face proportions right (and Pres. Peterson hopes that someday copies of it can be sold...and I a gree, it was a fabulous painting), and asked us some questions (though for the life of me, I can't remember what he asked). Pres. Peterson said something to Eric like, "I like you already."
Then Elder Brandon talked to us, took us on a tour, and then talked to us some more.
Some interesting tidbits:
The Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission is the smallest mission area-wise...it only takes in a few blocks. It has the most missionaries of any mission (1,160). He also claimed/joked that they can boast of the most baptisms of any missions as well...due to the Salt Lake Temple and the f amily history work that goes on there. This mission is the only mission where the President is called to serve for only 2 years and not 3.
Our first stop on the tour was the training area. New family history missionaries have a 2 week training period there where they get one-on-one training using a computer and their own 5 generations pedigree chart. A lovely snack table with fruits, vegetables, and treats was set up and Elder Brandon said there was food everywhere and called it the "20 pound mission," and we did see several tables on our tour. Eric and Elder Brandon enjoyed some licorice later on, but Glen and I refrained.
Anyway, we got to see a few rooms in the JSMB where some work was done (the help room for family history center directors was there), as well as some of the 70 young elders in this mission. Elder Brandon had explained to Eric that the young missionaries each had their own personalities and their differences were called "quirks" here. Some are visible and some are not. When we met with them, we could see some of it. It was great. They were great.
Then we went to the Family History Library (FHL). We got to go into back areas and see some work being done on projects like cutting apart books so they could be digitized. We saw them scanning as well. As I said, Glen and I are ready to sign up and serve there, too. It was amazing. There were editing rooms and the "blocking" room (where non-essential info--such as luggage on a ship's manifest--is blocked out of a digital record). Part of the mission is also the granite mountain vault--which sadly we did not get to see, but only 2-3 young elders serve there at a time. To work there you need to pass an extensive background check.
We stood on a corner and just looked across to the apartments that the missionaries use. They are "standard missionary apartments," though I'm not 100% sure what Elder Brandon meant by that.
The young missionaries are assigned a companion, but they do not have to stay with their companions while they are in their 2-3 block mission area (as they often have different assigments--one might be serving in the FHL while the other is in the JSMB). But they cannot go "off-campus" without permission and without their companion...that includes to the food court in the mall just south of Temple Square. They are assigned a different companion about every 3 months or so. Their assignments are also changed occasionally on "transfer" day.
They have district and zone meetings and are encouraged to teach each other from the "Preach My Gospel" manual; therefore, they are proclaiming the gospel to each other. They are given one scripture/quote a month to memorize if they can.
They get 4 hours a week to work on their own research...I think it was called P & R--Glen and I can't wait to have Eric tackle some of our brickwalls if he gets called to this mission.
They are required to go to the Salt Lake Temple at least once a month, but can go more often--some go every week during their P & R time. They are also occasionally driven to other temples in the area. If there's a live family sealing taking place in the Salt Lake Temple, they are allowed to attend the sealing--not the photo session or the luncheon, but they are allowed to go to the sealing.
A young elder will not be asked to serve in an area that would not "fit" with their quirks. For example, some would not want to work with the public, so they would not be put in an assignment that would have them dealing with patrons.
They are not allowed to proselyte. If they are on Temple Square and are asked about the church, they can answer basic questions, but then direct the person to one of the proselyting missionaries there. They are encouraged not to give money to the panhandlers, but are encouraged to pay fast offering to help the poor. There is a booth on the west side of Temple Square where those truly in need can go and transportation to a local soup kitchen will be arranged.
There is a missionary choir they can join and this choir sometimes performs elsewhere. They have firesides twice a month. They sometimes bump into General Authorities. There are devotionals every Monday and they have guest speakers.
Sunday mornings they are encouraged to attend the weekly Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word and have church in the afternoon in the JSMB--they are all in the same ward, but the ward has 2 Elder's Quorums.
They are driven to Walmart on P-days to go grocery shopping where they have about $40 a week to spend on food. They do their own laundry. There is a nurse available in the JSMB. They are taken to dentist and doctor's appointments as needed.
They live regular prosyleting missionary rules--to bed at 10:30 and up at 6:30, only e-mail immediate family members, no TV or computers (except to email home and do their family history--although they were allowed some political info online since it's an election year and they could research that so they would know how they wanted to vote).
The first Friday of each month is the day for the new missionaries to arrive. So, if Eric gets called to this mission, he would be starting his mission on January 4th, 2013 (or February 1st). The Saturday morning following, there is a swap meet where the missionaries who are going home can leave things for the other missionaries. The new missionaries get first crack at the items, and then the other missionaries can take from what is left.
We don't know how long it will take to hear back. Elder Brandon will mail a letter to our Stake President who will then mail it to us or bring it to us.
As I was googling President Peterson's name I came across a blog of a couple who wrote about their first week as family history missionaries in August of 2011. They have photos of Pres. and Sister Peterson, Elder Kuchar--a trainer we met, as well as of Elder Morse--one of the young missionaries we met--and the swap meet. Click here to see their photos.
Two articles dealing with the Temple Square Mission that are old and have some outdated information in them, but are still interesting, can be found here:
A Unique Mission
Delighted to Serve
We met with Elder Brandon on the 3rd floor in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB). We spent a little over 2 hours with him. Sister Brandon was with us for part of the time.
One of the first things he did was to take us to meet with the President of the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission, President Wayne S. Peterson (click on his name to go to his biography).
President Peterson and his wife were wonderful. He only talked to us for a few minutes. He told us a little bit about himself, pointed out an excellent, original oil painting of Joseph Smith that the artist did using the death mask of Joseph so as to get the face proportions right (and Pres. Peterson hopes that someday copies of it can be sold...and I a gree, it was a fabulous painting), and asked us some questions (though for the life of me, I can't remember what he asked). Pres. Peterson said something to Eric like, "I like you already."
Then Elder Brandon talked to us, took us on a tour, and then talked to us some more.
Some interesting tidbits:
The Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission is the smallest mission area-wise...it only takes in a few blocks. It has the most missionaries of any mission (1,160). He also claimed/joked that they can boast of the most baptisms of any missions as well...due to the Salt Lake Temple and the f amily history work that goes on there. This mission is the only mission where the President is called to serve for only 2 years and not 3.
Our first stop on the tour was the training area. New family history missionaries have a 2 week training period there where they get one-on-one training using a computer and their own 5 generations pedigree chart. A lovely snack table with fruits, vegetables, and treats was set up and Elder Brandon said there was food everywhere and called it the "20 pound mission," and we did see several tables on our tour. Eric and Elder Brandon enjoyed some licorice later on, but Glen and I refrained.
Anyway, we got to see a few rooms in the JSMB where some work was done (the help room for family history center directors was there), as well as some of the 70 young elders in this mission. Elder Brandon had explained to Eric that the young missionaries each had their own personalities and their differences were called "quirks" here. Some are visible and some are not. When we met with them, we could see some of it. It was great. They were great.
Then we went to the Family History Library (FHL). We got to go into back areas and see some work being done on projects like cutting apart books so they could be digitized. We saw them scanning as well. As I said, Glen and I are ready to sign up and serve there, too. It was amazing. There were editing rooms and the "blocking" room (where non-essential info--such as luggage on a ship's manifest--is blocked out of a digital record). Part of the mission is also the granite mountain vault--which sadly we did not get to see, but only 2-3 young elders serve there at a time. To work there you need to pass an extensive background check.
We stood on a corner and just looked across to the apartments that the missionaries use. They are "standard missionary apartments," though I'm not 100% sure what Elder Brandon meant by that.
The young missionaries are assigned a companion, but they do not have to stay with their companions while they are in their 2-3 block mission area (as they often have different assigments--one might be serving in the FHL while the other is in the JSMB). But they cannot go "off-campus" without permission and without their companion...that includes to the food court in the mall just south of Temple Square. They are assigned a different companion about every 3 months or so. Their assignments are also changed occasionally on "transfer" day.
They have district and zone meetings and are encouraged to teach each other from the "Preach My Gospel" manual; therefore, they are proclaiming the gospel to each other. They are given one scripture/quote a month to memorize if they can.
They get 4 hours a week to work on their own research...I think it was called P & R--Glen and I can't wait to have Eric tackle some of our brickwalls if he gets called to this mission.
They are required to go to the Salt Lake Temple at least once a month, but can go more often--some go every week during their P & R time. They are also occasionally driven to other temples in the area. If there's a live family sealing taking place in the Salt Lake Temple, they are allowed to attend the sealing--not the photo session or the luncheon, but they are allowed to go to the sealing.
A young elder will not be asked to serve in an area that would not "fit" with their quirks. For example, some would not want to work with the public, so they would not be put in an assignment that would have them dealing with patrons.
They are not allowed to proselyte. If they are on Temple Square and are asked about the church, they can answer basic questions, but then direct the person to one of the proselyting missionaries there. They are encouraged not to give money to the panhandlers, but are encouraged to pay fast offering to help the poor. There is a booth on the west side of Temple Square where those truly in need can go and transportation to a local soup kitchen will be arranged.
There is a missionary choir they can join and this choir sometimes performs elsewhere. They have firesides twice a month. They sometimes bump into General Authorities. There are devotionals every Monday and they have guest speakers.
Sunday mornings they are encouraged to attend the weekly Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word and have church in the afternoon in the JSMB--they are all in the same ward, but the ward has 2 Elder's Quorums.
They are driven to Walmart on P-days to go grocery shopping where they have about $40 a week to spend on food. They do their own laundry. There is a nurse available in the JSMB. They are taken to dentist and doctor's appointments as needed.
They live regular prosyleting missionary rules--to bed at 10:30 and up at 6:30, only e-mail immediate family members, no TV or computers (except to email home and do their family history--although they were allowed some political info online since it's an election year and they could research that so they would know how they wanted to vote).
The first Friday of each month is the day for the new missionaries to arrive. So, if Eric gets called to this mission, he would be starting his mission on January 4th, 2013 (or February 1st). The Saturday morning following, there is a swap meet where the missionaries who are going home can leave things for the other missionaries. The new missionaries get first crack at the items, and then the other missionaries can take from what is left.
We don't know how long it will take to hear back. Elder Brandon will mail a letter to our Stake President who will then mail it to us or bring it to us.
As I was googling President Peterson's name I came across a blog of a couple who wrote about their first week as family history missionaries in August of 2011. They have photos of Pres. and Sister Peterson, Elder Kuchar--a trainer we met, as well as of Elder Morse--one of the young missionaries we met--and the swap meet. Click here to see their photos.
Two articles dealing with the Temple Square Mission that are old and have some outdated information in them, but are still interesting, can be found here:
A Unique Mission
Delighted to Serve
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Operation "Surprise Dad" was a success and Eric's trip to Salt Lake
My Dad's 80th birthday was Sunday October 14th. At the end of the summer, my sister Denise came up with the idea of surprising Dad.
She flew to Reno on Friday night. We headed out to Oregon early Saturday and arrived around 2:40. Luckily, Dad was out walking his dog, Cricket, so Mom hid the car and we sat on the couch and waited. Dad walked in still listening to his audio book, so he didn't hear us giggling. Finally, he raised his head and looked at us for a few seconds with a totally blank look on his face. Then all of a sudden recognition dawned in his face and he slowly began to smile. He was very surprised and very happy to have us there. We were able to stay almost 48 hours. It was a GREAT visit.
The 2 highlights of his birthday were our visit and the fact that his New York Giants won their football game even though no one (including my Dad) thought they would.
So, Denise and I arrived here Monday night, and first thing Tuesday morning I had to drive her to the airport so she could get home.
I arrived back in Fallon, we loaded up the car, and discovered we had a very flat tire...I had just bought brand new tires 5 days previously and was feeling frustrated that our trip was delayed. But Les Schwab got us back on the road quickly, so we weren't too far off scheduled.
Turned out to be OK because our delay in starting allowed us to miss some rain and bad traffic in between Salt Lake and Provo. We visited with Andrew, Heather, and even Sarah for a bit, before heading back to the hotel. Sadly, I had my camera in my purse and forgot to take any pictures.
Headed to Salt Lake and made it just a little bit early for our 9 am meeting with Elder Terry Brandon. We met with President Peterson, President of the Salt Lake Temple Square mission, which includes these young family history missionaries. Elder Brandon is not a mission president, but is directly over these young missionaries.
We were there for over 2 hours receiving a tour. It was FABULOUS. Glen and I want to sign up. We saw different areas in the family history library and met some of the young Elders, including one (Elder Tyler Duckworth) who asked us if we knew Andrew. Turns out Elder Duckworth and Andrew were in the same ward their freshman year at BYU.
I don't know how long it will take for them to get back to us, but we will hear from them relatively soon as to whether Eric is called to their mission or not.
If he is called, the first opening they have was January 4th...right when Ryan goes back to BYU-I with his cousin Jake as his new roommate. If they don't have any spots in January (Elder Brandon was just thinking off the top of his head), then February 1st would be the next start date.
After our meeting with Elder Brandon, Teresa met up with us and we took in a session in the Salt Lake Temple together. It was great. Teresa is a grandmother again...Bryce and his wife, Erika, had a baby girl, Ivy June, on Monday. Mother and baby are doing well.
So, I've had enough traveling for a while, but it sure was great.
She flew to Reno on Friday night. We headed out to Oregon early Saturday and arrived around 2:40. Luckily, Dad was out walking his dog, Cricket, so Mom hid the car and we sat on the couch and waited. Dad walked in still listening to his audio book, so he didn't hear us giggling. Finally, he raised his head and looked at us for a few seconds with a totally blank look on his face. Then all of a sudden recognition dawned in his face and he slowly began to smile. He was very surprised and very happy to have us there. We were able to stay almost 48 hours. It was a GREAT visit.
The 2 highlights of his birthday were our visit and the fact that his New York Giants won their football game even though no one (including my Dad) thought they would.
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| Dad and his birthday blueberry muffin |
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| Dad and Mom at the harbor |
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| It was rainy and misty while we were there and we loved it |
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| The Loch Ness monster made an appearance |
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| Cricket and Denise (sorry, I don't know how to get ride of pet "demon eyes") |
So, Denise and I arrived here Monday night, and first thing Tuesday morning I had to drive her to the airport so she could get home.
I arrived back in Fallon, we loaded up the car, and discovered we had a very flat tire...I had just bought brand new tires 5 days previously and was feeling frustrated that our trip was delayed. But Les Schwab got us back on the road quickly, so we weren't too far off scheduled.
Turned out to be OK because our delay in starting allowed us to miss some rain and bad traffic in between Salt Lake and Provo. We visited with Andrew, Heather, and even Sarah for a bit, before heading back to the hotel. Sadly, I had my camera in my purse and forgot to take any pictures.
Headed to Salt Lake and made it just a little bit early for our 9 am meeting with Elder Terry Brandon. We met with President Peterson, President of the Salt Lake Temple Square mission, which includes these young family history missionaries. Elder Brandon is not a mission president, but is directly over these young missionaries.
We were there for over 2 hours receiving a tour. It was FABULOUS. Glen and I want to sign up. We saw different areas in the family history library and met some of the young Elders, including one (Elder Tyler Duckworth) who asked us if we knew Andrew. Turns out Elder Duckworth and Andrew were in the same ward their freshman year at BYU.
I don't know how long it will take for them to get back to us, but we will hear from them relatively soon as to whether Eric is called to their mission or not.
If he is called, the first opening they have was January 4th...right when Ryan goes back to BYU-I with his cousin Jake as his new roommate. If they don't have any spots in January (Elder Brandon was just thinking off the top of his head), then February 1st would be the next start date.
After our meeting with Elder Brandon, Teresa met up with us and we took in a session in the Salt Lake Temple together. It was great. Teresa is a grandmother again...Bryce and his wife, Erika, had a baby girl, Ivy June, on Monday. Mother and baby are doing well.
So, I've had enough traveling for a while, but it sure was great.
 |
| Here's one of the 3 rainbows we saw while heading into Utah |
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| Teresa, Eric, and Beth |
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| Glen, Eric, and Beth (didn't get one of him smiling) |
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Alex turned 12 and was ordained to the Priesthood today
Happy 12th Birthday Alex!
Yep. It was quite a day. My youngest turned 12. We're blessed to live so close to family so that Grandma and Grandpa, David and Jackie, Alan and Carey, Kathy and Gary, Becky, Joseph, Thomas, and Ben, plus Bishop Wadsworth could all come over. Glen conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on Alex and ordained him to the office of a deacon. Alex will be able to pass the sacrament this Sunday and go on the temple trip on the 20th. Very exciting times. Congratulations Alex!
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| in the morning, opening a gift before school |
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| Uncle Gary, Grandpa, Bishop Wadsworth, Glen, Uncle Alan, Eric, Uncle David, and Alex |
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| Hannah, Glen, Alex, Beth, and Eric |
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| Alex and Glen |
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| Thomas, Ben, Alex, Hannah, (Grandpa) |
Monday, October 1, 2012
good things happening
My sister's good news:
Her son, Zach, and his wife, Stephanie, are expecting their first child in May and Zach also just was inducted into the Air Force last week!
Her son, Jake, was just accepted to BYU-I! We are waiting to hear what track he will be assigned, but we hope he can room with Michael and Ryan in the winter.
Pretty darn exciting.
My good news:
Hannah's tennis season is now over. Glen and I got to watch her play on Thursday. Such fun. She and her doubles partner/twin Becky did great (they won one match and lost another).
Eric went through the temple on Saturday! He's one step closer to being able to serve a family history mission in Salt Lake.
Alex had his interview with the Bishop for having the Aaronic Priesthood conferred upon him. It will probably occur on October 10th, his 12th birthday. His first temple trip for baptisms for the dead will happen on the 20th. Amazing.
And not quite so eternal in its significance, but still thrilling in its own arena:
Our washer broke this weekend, and with the use of google, Glen was able to repair it! Cost: $0.00. Matter of fact, we made 22¢ and 4 bobby pins in the deal as they were rescued from the inside of the washer.
Pretty darn exciting.
Her son, Zach, and his wife, Stephanie, are expecting their first child in May and Zach also just was inducted into the Air Force last week!
Her son, Jake, was just accepted to BYU-I! We are waiting to hear what track he will be assigned, but we hope he can room with Michael and Ryan in the winter.
Pretty darn exciting.
My good news:
Hannah's tennis season is now over. Glen and I got to watch her play on Thursday. Such fun. She and her doubles partner/twin Becky did great (they won one match and lost another).
Eric went through the temple on Saturday! He's one step closer to being able to serve a family history mission in Salt Lake.
Alex had his interview with the Bishop for having the Aaronic Priesthood conferred upon him. It will probably occur on October 10th, his 12th birthday. His first temple trip for baptisms for the dead will happen on the 20th. Amazing.
And not quite so eternal in its significance, but still thrilling in its own arena:
Our washer broke this weekend, and with the use of google, Glen was able to repair it! Cost: $0.00. Matter of fact, we made 22¢ and 4 bobby pins in the deal as they were rescued from the inside of the washer.
Pretty darn exciting.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
some firsts
First time: prom dress shopping with our daughter. Wow.
The prom was postponned a few months, but Hannah had already been shopping in Reno with a friend and had found a dress she really liked. Glen, Hannah, and I went and saw the dress. It was black and had some nice sparklies on it. I really liked it. Wish I had had my camera, but we didn't buy it. It would need to be altered and she would need a jacket for it, and even though the dress was on sale, it would be too expensive in the end.
***
Steve the kitten: I heard the story of Steve's miraculous life from her original family the other day. When Steve was born, they thought she wasn't going to make it...she wasn't breathing well at all (2 breaths a minute) and was growing cold. Becky was told that the kitten probably wouldn't make it. The fact that my feet get attacked by a playful kitten is a miracle. She's growing fat and doing fine.
***
First time: Eric will be going to the temple to receive his endowment on Saturday September 29th. Wow.
In 2 months he will be 21, so he can go through the temple before receiving his mission call (usually one a young man receives his mission call before setting up an appointment with the temple), but we are working on him being called to serve a family history mission in Salt Lake.
We're not sure of the time line, but don't think it will take too long for the paper work to be turned in. This would be a 2 year, living as a missionary (no TV, computers, etc) but not proselyting mission. We aren't sure of specifics, but some work might include filming records in Salt Lake's granite mountain and doing some work on computers. What work on computers, I don't rightly know. But we are very excited. So is Eric.
***
Ryan bought a nerf gun. Four of his 5 roommates bought nerf guns. Every college student needs a nerf gun. I think he's getting some homework done, too.
***
I've gone to my first couple of my mosaic/stained glass class and last time we started cutting glass tiles to practice for our projects. Glass chips were flying everywhere and our shapes were a bit funky, but I think I got the hang of it and I'm looking forward to getting started on my project.
The prom was postponned a few months, but Hannah had already been shopping in Reno with a friend and had found a dress she really liked. Glen, Hannah, and I went and saw the dress. It was black and had some nice sparklies on it. I really liked it. Wish I had had my camera, but we didn't buy it. It would need to be altered and she would need a jacket for it, and even though the dress was on sale, it would be too expensive in the end.
***
Steve the kitten: I heard the story of Steve's miraculous life from her original family the other day. When Steve was born, they thought she wasn't going to make it...she wasn't breathing well at all (2 breaths a minute) and was growing cold. Becky was told that the kitten probably wouldn't make it. The fact that my feet get attacked by a playful kitten is a miracle. She's growing fat and doing fine.
***
First time: Eric will be going to the temple to receive his endowment on Saturday September 29th. Wow.
In 2 months he will be 21, so he can go through the temple before receiving his mission call (usually one a young man receives his mission call before setting up an appointment with the temple), but we are working on him being called to serve a family history mission in Salt Lake.
We're not sure of the time line, but don't think it will take too long for the paper work to be turned in. This would be a 2 year, living as a missionary (no TV, computers, etc) but not proselyting mission. We aren't sure of specifics, but some work might include filming records in Salt Lake's granite mountain and doing some work on computers. What work on computers, I don't rightly know. But we are very excited. So is Eric.
***
Ryan bought a nerf gun. Four of his 5 roommates bought nerf guns. Every college student needs a nerf gun. I think he's getting some homework done, too.
***
I've gone to my first couple of my mosaic/stained glass class and last time we started cutting glass tiles to practice for our projects. Glass chips were flying everywhere and our shapes were a bit funky, but I think I got the hang of it and I'm looking forward to getting started on my project.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
and now for your viewing pleasure
It was quite a week for me. Ryan and I went up to Rexburg, Idaho (spending a night in Idaho Falls on the way there) where I got him settled in his dorm, ready for his first semester of college. Then I headed down to Provo to meet up with Andrew and his girlfriend, Heather.
There are 6 guys in Ryan's dorm. His cousin, Michael, and their friend, Jason, share a room. Landen from Orange county CA and Scott from the Sacramento area share another room. They both seem very nice. Since Ryan's roommate wasn't a freshman (we thought he was a sophomore, but it turns out he's a senior), he didn't go to freshman orientation, so I didn't get to meet him. But I guess he got in today and his name is Alec and he's from Arkansas.
Classes start for them on Monday. Ryan has communication essentials, writing and reasoning foundations, general psychology (online), a class on the culture of China, and a mission prep class.
After leaving Ryan, I drove down to Utah and spent the night at Teresa and Matt's house before heading down to Provo Friday morning. While Andrew was in class, I visited the MOA (BYU's Museum of Art). Later, Andrew, Heather, and I went back to the MOA and Sarah met up with us there.
After the MOA, we picked up cousin Amanda, too, and drove to Brandon and Calista's where we had a birthday party for Alicia--she just turned 21 so we drank non-alcoholic fancy drinks. Mormons really know how to live. Before the drinks, though, we played volleyball on a handball court. As always, it was a blast.
After the drinks came some game playing. Reverse Charades is where everyone acts out the same thing to one member of their team. I'm terrible at it, but it was fun.
We took a little break to watch the Utah St Aggies beat the Utah Utes in overtime. It was sweet.
So, it was a tiring, but great, trip. Can't believe Ryan is in college now. What an exciting time for him.
There are 6 guys in Ryan's dorm. His cousin, Michael, and their friend, Jason, share a room. Landen from Orange county CA and Scott from the Sacramento area share another room. They both seem very nice. Since Ryan's roommate wasn't a freshman (we thought he was a sophomore, but it turns out he's a senior), he didn't go to freshman orientation, so I didn't get to meet him. But I guess he got in today and his name is Alec and he's from Arkansas.
Classes start for them on Monday. Ryan has communication essentials, writing and reasoning foundations, general psychology (online), a class on the culture of China, and a mission prep class.
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| outside the Idaho Falls Temple |
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| Jason, Ryan, and Michael outside their dorm heading off to freshman orientation |
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| Landen and Ryan heading off to meet with their assigned group |
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| the Rexburg Temple is just a 1/2 mile from Ryan's dorm |
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| a cow for Hannah (in a display about Islamic art) |
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| stained glass for me |
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| this was part of the Andy Warhol exhibit, though this piece wasn't done by Andy but by Takashi Murakami in the Think Flat exhibit (for Alex?) |
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| Andrew and Heather in the Think Flat exhibit |
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| a hands-on Warhol exhibit |
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| Heather |
After the MOA, we picked up cousin Amanda, too, and drove to Brandon and Calista's where we had a birthday party for Alicia--she just turned 21 so we drank non-alcoholic fancy drinks. Mormons really know how to live. Before the drinks, though, we played volleyball on a handball court. As always, it was a blast.
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| Brandon, Calista, Dallin, Alicia, Jacob, Sarah, and Quinten |
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| Brandon and Calista teaching the art of using a blender to make a drink |
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| Susan, Brandon, Calista, Amanda |
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| Heather, Andrew, Alicia, Jacob (and 1/2 of Sarah) |
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| Andrew, Quinten, and Sarah playing charades |
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| Andrew, Quinten, Alicia, and Sarah acting out "Dumbo" |
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| Still working on Dumbo |
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| I don't remember what they were acting out here, but it looks funny |
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| Amanda, Calista, and Susan having a great time |
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